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Bill was born Dec. 7, 1959, at St. Luke Hospital, Marion, to William Thomas Edmunds Sr. and Virginia (Weber) Edmunds. He attended Marion schools and graduated in 1979 from Marion High School.

He enlisted in the Navy following high school. He served on the USS Wichita stationed at Alameda, California. During his tour of duty, he traveled to ports in Hawaii, Japan, The Philippines, Australia, and East Africa. When asked why he chose the Navy, he replied “That’s what my dad did and I wanted to make him proud.”

Upon returning home, he went to work for Tony’s Pizza in Salina for 3½ years. Then for 26 years, he worked at Johnson’s General Store, Florence, as a clerk and later as a manager. He made many friends while in Florence. His health forced him to retire in 2009 following a heart attack.

For the past 12 years, he was on dialysis because of kidney failure. He traveled three times a week to Newton for dialysis treatment, and the center became his second family. He especially became friends with his nurse Kim.

His main passion was fishing. He enjoyed fishing with his dad, brother, and sisters. He was an avid Oklahoma University fan and a big fan of the Pittsburgh Steelers.